36 ALL ABOUT DOGS 



els, some of the Hunts men shalle stryke hym, and, 

 thusse, you maye have excellente sporte, and pastyme, 

 in hunting of the Otter, if the Houndes be goode and 

 that the Ryveres be not over greate. Where the Ryv- 

 eres be greate, some use to have a lyne, thrwen over- 

 thwart the Ryvere, the whyche, two of the Huntsmen 

 shalle holde, by eche ende, one on the one syde of 

 the Ryvere, and the othere, on that othere. And, lette 

 them holde the lyne so slacke, that it may, alwayes, be 

 underneathe the watere. And, if the Otter come dy- 

 vynge, under the watere, he shalle, of necesstie, touche 

 theyr lyne, and so, they shall feele, and knowe, whyche 

 waye he is passed, the whyche shalle make hym be 

 taken the soonere. An Otter's Skynne, is very good 

 furre, and his grease, wyll make a medycyne, to make 

 fishes turn uppe theyr bellies, as if they weare deade. A 

 goode Otter Hounde may prove an excellente good 

 Bucke Hounde, if he be not olde, before he be en- 

 ter red." Another writer, of about twenty-five years 

 since, in speaking of the Otterhound, says : " He is 

 bred to stand wet or rheumatism, to hunt by eye, as well 

 as scent, to mark the ' bubbles ' when his quarry is 

 ' down/ and join in the chase, in the Otter's element. 

 Failing that, he has to stoop to the scent again. He 

 must be undistracted by whoops and halloos of the at- 

 tending multitude, observing the huntsman only, and 

 answering his horn and cheer. With many a blank 

 day and disappointment, he must resolutely hunt and 

 face a ' water demon! The points of the breed are 

 laid down as follows : — The head should, in shape, be 

 something between that of the Bloodhound and Fox- 



